| * MTN
(Maritime Telecommunications Network) announced plans to begin rolling
out their latest technology that will allow you to make and receive
calls via your cell phone while on your cruise ship.
The program basically puts a cell tower on the ship and connects to the land-based AT&T system via MTN’s satellite dish already on the ship providing the ship’s communications (and internet access). The system will meet the standards of most US cell phones, and for non-AT&T wireless customers, you will be able to access the system via your cell provider’s roaming agreement with AT&T. (Just be sure to turn on the roaming feature on your phone.) For AT&T Wireless customers the calls will be priced between $1.49 and $1.59 per minute. Other cell companies will bill at their roaming rates for AT&T in the Caribbean, but they should be similar. It will be the same rate for making or receiving a call, but still considerably less than using the ship’s satellite phone system. Norwegian Sun will be the first ship to get the new service, and that will happen as early as next month, with the rest of the NCL fleet coming online within a year. MTN president Dave Kagan told Cruise News Daily that they can begin adding the system to other lines’ fleets as soon as contracts are inked with them. Excerpted from the full article which was carried in the August 17, 2004 edition of Cruise News Daily. Cruise News Daily Home Copyright 2004 by Cruise News Daily. All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced, rewritten or retransmitted without express permission of Cruise News Daily. |